Sweet Escapade
by Potionmaker
Summary: Draco gets his own pet dog to keep him company over the summer. RonDraco Slash, oneshot.


Pairing: Ron/Draco Slash  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: A huge thank you goes to my wonderful Beta, pinkdragyn042.

Whenever I write 'Ron,' it means the dog, and whenever I write 'Weasley,' it means Ron Weasley.

---

It was during the previous year that Draco had accidentally seen Ron Weasley's Patronus. Draco had been seeking a quiet place away from the prying eyes of his nosy housemates when he found the tall redhead standing beside the lake. He had his wand in hand, and was yelling out "_Expecto Patronum!_" repeatedly.

It wasn't every day that Draco encountered his secret crush alone, so he decided to just watch the other boy practice his Patronus charm. At first, only wisps of silvery smoke came out of Weasley's wand, but after an hour of continuous practice, Draco noticed that it was gradually taking a form.

When Draco, standing behind a tree, finally saw the frisky little silver animal come out of Weasley's wand, he let out a gasp, then smiled at its adorable form. The Patronus looked like a small dog, but Draco could tell that its vigor was enough to drive a Dementor away. The Gryffindor let out a jubilant whoop, looking so similar to when he had saved the goals at a Quidditich match the Gryffindors had won. Normally, the blond would have put in a sarcastic comment or two, but for once, he felt he didn't want to break the other boy's mood, and turned on his heels to walk back to the castle.

By that point, he had already decided to get _one of his own_ when he had to go back to the Manor for the summer holiday. He knew that the little thing would certainly keep him company while he couldn't see his crush. What he didn't know was that it would provide him with a lot more than just company.

---

When Draco first got his Jack Russell Terrier, he was overwhelmed by the puppy's jauntiness and restlessness, and went into near hysterics. It was no easy task to discipline him. After a couple of weeks, however, Draco found the dog to be very intelligent as well as amenable. After all, things were much less complex with _Little Ron_. Draco wished it was like this with the hot-tempered Gryffindor as well.

However, a new worry soon began to grow. After several weeks, the holidays would be over. Draco felt a tightening in his chest every time he thought of leaving _Little_ _Ron_ to go back to Hogwarts. Draco had been telling the House Elves almost naggingly to take good care of his dog when he was away, but it wasn't enough to shake off his anxiety.

There was also another problem. Draco's room was the only place the poor puppy had ever been. Lucius disliked small animals, and Draco knew an innocent puppy was not the best choice of a pet for a future Death Eater. Draco thought it best to keep Ron a secret from his father. Ron looked so constrained in Draco's room that Draco couldn't blame the puppy for chewing up the bedsheet, curtains, and anything that came in its sight.

For the first time, Draco decided to take his four-month old dog outside with him. He thought Ron might be able to release his frustration if Draco showed a little of the outside world to him.

Draco decided to go to Muggle London because there was less chance of stumbling across someone who knew him. Should he come across any Slytherin student, it would reach everyone's ears that he was keeping a pathetic Jack Russell Terrier for a pet. The advantage of being in a big Muggle city was that Draco could just melt into the crowd, and if necessary, just pretend that he had taken the wrong way from Diagon Alley. Plus, the paved Muggle road wouldn't be too hard on his custom-made leather shoes.

Once he and Ron arrived at London, just a few streets away from the _Leaky Cauldron_, he knew he'd made the right decision. Draco had never seen Ron's brown eyes gleam so bright before. They wandered to the street busy with Muggle vehicles, the pavement packed with Muggles young and old, and the colourful shop windows displaying artifacts that Draco had never seen before.

Draco had never come to the Muggle side of London before, except for Kings Cross where he'd take the Hogwarts Express. Standing there without anyone to guide him, Draco felt insecure, but free. There, he was nobody. Draco usually enjoyed all the attention he received as the heir to the Malfoy estate, but it was nice to forget the responsibilities associated with his name for a while.

Now the puppy was restless more than ever, wagging his tail and darting out his tongue happily. With so many Muggles around, Draco had to hold the leash short. Otherwise the crazy thing would pull and drag Draco to wherever his curiosity took him. Occasionally, Draco had to give Rona biscuit to keep him satisfied and calm, and it was succeeding so far.

However, right when they turned the corner of a street, Ron tugged with such force that Draco inadvertently let go of the leash. Ron went off running straight down the pavement, barking excitedly.

"Ron! Come back here, you idiot!"

Draco panicked inside, but he needn't worry too long. Ron suddenly stopped in front of a tall redheaded boy and started hopping onto him.

_Oh, bugger._

He should've known. This was the Weasleys' territory, being the Muggle-lovers they were.

The sight of Ron Weasley did make Draco's heart jump, but as he was in the center of a Muggle city with his dog, it wasn't exactly the right time to rejoice at this coincidence. Draco considered turning on his heel or hiding in one of the shops lining the street, but Ron chose that moment to look back and let out a happy bark at Draco, which inevitably made the redhead look up.

Weasley immediately caught Draco standing there, his blue eyes growing wide in surprise. Merlin, did the Gryffindor blend in well with the Muggles. He wore a tacky t-shirt and worn-out jeans, but nonetheless stood out for his tall, lean frame and fiery red hair. He seemed to have picked up some tan during the holidays.

"Malfoy? What the hell are you doing here?" said Weasley, who had dropped to his knees to stroke the dog under the chin.

"Is this your dog?" asked Weasley skeptically. Draco very much wanted to say 'no,' but he wondered if his dog understood any of what they were saying.

"What if it is?"

"Nothing...well, it's just that I didn't think you'd have this kind," said Weasley, scratching Ron under his ear. Ron was narrowing his eyes in bliss. _Lucky bastard_.

"I wouldn't have if I'd known they were such restless, hyperactive crazy little things," and _adorable_, Draco added in his mind.

Weasley looked slightly offended and said, "That's because they're full of energy. They should be fine once you get used to them."

"How do you know that?" Draco arched a brow at him. "Don't tell me you have one. They're not the most beautiful and cleverest things but at least pedigreed, nothing your family can ever afford."

Weasley bit his bottom lip, seemingly holding back his rage. Draco knew the Gryffindor was on the verge of telling him that his Patronus was a Jack Russell, but narrowly keeping from pouring out such personal information to his enemy.

Ron seemed to have sensed Weasley's sudden change of mood. He backed away and shifted his attention towards another passer-by, a young girl this time, and started sniffing around her legs.

"Ron, no!" bellowed Draco and picked up the end of the leash to pull Ron back towards him. When Draco looked back at the other boy, he realized what he'd just said.

"What did you just call him?" Weasley asked, with a thunderstruck look on his face.

Avoiding looking at the redhead in the eyes, Draco said, "I really don't have time for chit-chat." Then he noticed with the sudden tug at his leash that Ron was now sniffing a discarded snack wrapper on the ground. He picked up the dog, which started to wriggle in his arms.

"No, Ron, you're forgetting your manners!"

_Bugger me. _He said it again. There was no escape this time.

"Look, it's not what you think. His name's 'Ronan,' and I like to call him the short way, OK?"

Weasley still had his mouth and eyes wide open in shock.

"I...alright, so I happen to call this stupid creature '_Ron_'. So what's the big deal? I like to torture him as my personal stress-reliever."

Draco knew his excuse was not so convincing when the stupid creature began happily licking his cheek. Right. So he's totally screwed now.

After an awkward staring contest, Weasley was first to break the silence.

"I think he likes to be kept occupied, and he constantly needs attention. Don't get him too bored or stressed unless you want your house chewed up. He needs to stretch his legs, not with that thing attached to his neck. Go take him to a park or somewhere. There should be one nearby."

When Draco blinked, Weasley added, "I did some research on that one." Weasley scratched the tip of his nose and his ears were turning pink. It made Draco fuzzy inside, but his conscious self didn't allow him to show it.

"Well, well, you're starting to sound like a dog breeder, Weasley. Is that it? Is that what you want as your career? With the way you hang around that oaf of a giant, it's not surprising. It's not too far from what he's doing."

When Draco noticed that the redhead was quickly turning into a shade of red, he felt an urgent need of changing the subject.

"Are you like that, too?"

"What?" said Weasley, narrowing his eyes.

"Is that why you're wandering a Muggle street alone looking pissed? Because you need more attention and want to be kept occupied?"

"What, I wasn't-"

"I can keep you occupied if you want."

Weasley looked at him as if Draco had lost his mind. Draco looked away and pushed back his fringe, flush creeping up his cheeks.

"I mean, if you don't have anything else to do than wander uselessly through Muggle streets, why don't you just show me where that park is? You seem so comfortable here."

Weasley rolled his eyes, but after glancing at the puppy, he let out a sigh. "I'm doing it for the sake of the dog, not for you."

With that said, Weasley started walking ahead, sticking his hands in his pockets. After walking a few feet, he looked back, apparently to see if Draco and the puppy were following him, and Draco couldn't help but smile at the corner of his mouth.

He would have to give Ron some special treat when they got home.

- Fin -


End file.
